Lookout! – Issue 15
21 December 2009
Guidance notice – Issue 17:
Long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) equipment testing
21 December 2009
17 December 2005
The search for three fishermen on board the missing vessel Mi Jay has been suspended after an extensive search over the past twelve days.
The fishermen have not been heard from or seen since they left Nelson on 22 November, despite a large-scale search and ongoing broadcasts to mariners.
Russell Kilvington, Director of Maritime NZ, says searchers have thoroughly covered each of the areas where the vessel may have gone, or the vessel’s life raft could have drifted.
“With no other leads, we have had to suspend the search. If any new and relevant information comes to hand, the search will be relaunched.
“It’s disheartening that we’ve had no sighting of the men, and our thoughts go out to the fishermen’s families and friends. Our decision to suspend will not be easy for them,” he said.
On Tuesday 6 December, the owner of the Mi Jay contacted RCCNZ to notify his vessel was overdue. An Air Force Orion was tasked to search an 86,000 square kilometre area off the Canterbury Coast, where the men intended to fish. At the same time, two helicopters scoured a 570-kilometre stretch of shoreline off the east coast of New Zealand.
Following this initial search, RCCNZ called on the Air Force again to cover a 17,000 square kilometre area around the Chatham Islands, as new information indicated that they may have gone fishing in this area instead. A fixed-wing aircraft also carried out a shoreline search of the Chatham Islands, and yesterday the Chatham Islands Police and local fishing vessels completed the search of this area.
Sadly, despite this searching, there has been no sighting of the fishermen since they left Nelson.
For further information contact:
RCCNZ Media Line
Phone 04 499 7318